Fittler, Buderus pick a NSW line-up each week

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Every week since round one of the 2018 Telstra Premiership season NSW coaches Brad Fittler and Danny Buderus draw up a list of 19 players – their starting Blues 13 and their extended bench.

Buderus says it's not as simple as locking in your preferred Holden State of Origin team and sticking with it.

"You just don't know who is in the team until you're about to walk into the room (for team announcement) basically," Buderus told NRL.com.

"We pick a team every week. We have a good idea every week. But then injuries, suspensions, form, you never know what comes your way.

"So we have a group that we list every week, and we keep bringing ones in, putting a couple to the side.

"But it's more about bringing them in on the basis of the things we think we need to win the series."

Fittler told the media at a NSWRL 'Rising Stars' camp on Tuesday how difficult that can be as players and clubs drift in and out of form.

"The Bulldogs were good on the weekend with the likes of (Aaron) Woods, (David) Klemmer and (Josh) Jackson playing well for their club. That was Woods' best game on the weekend," he said of Canterbury's upset 27-10 win over North Queensland in Townsville.

Fittler in better position than previous coaches

"Penrith are going great with a lot of players there playing well.

"(Sydney Roosters fullback) James Tedesco has been a funny one just playing with a different team. And the way they play the only time he gets the ball is when he slips into dummy-half or demands the ball. Maybe he's got to do a bit more of that," Fittler said.

"The other key is that Melbourne aren't first, Cowboys aren't second and Brisbane aren't third. So it's working both ways.

"But we sit down each week, look at video, talk about players. It changes each week.

"Even watching Manly on the weekend and watching them get crushed (by Wests Tigers 38-12) and you're thinking 'Oh no… that changes the team'."

But Fittler believes he sits in a far better spot that previous coaches Laurie Daley, Ricky Stuart or Craig Bellamy have been in terms of in-form players.

"The key is that we've got a lot of players playing well. Players are actually pushing other players out, more so than the other way around," Fittler said.

"I don’t think many coaches from NSW have had that luxury for a long time.

"We seem to have had a lot of good forwards for a lot of years but we've got a lot of good centres and wingers playing well.

"There's a really good footy team moulding."

But will there be any incumbents from the 2017 series still there in 2018?

"It's hard to say just because of injury," Fittler said. "I'm of the mindset that I'm not really going to be set on anyone as yet. So most positions are open."